AFC North Staff Notes: Steelers, Ravens
Here’s the latest coaching news from a pair of AFC North cities:
- The Steelers are adding IUP offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. to their staff in an unspecified role, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. The move reunites Cignetti and new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, who worked together in New Orleans from 2000-01 and again in Green Bay in 2018. Then in his 13th year as the Packers’ head coach, McCarthy hired Cignetti as the team’s quarterbacks coach. McCarthy didn’t survive the season, though, as the Packers fired him after a 4-7-1 start. Cignetti has since coached at the college level, including a run as Pitt’s offensive coordinator/QBs coach from 2022-23, but will now return to the pros.
- Ramon Chinyoung Sr. will serve as the Steelers’ running backs coach in 2026, the team announced. It’s another familiar addition for McCarthy, who has now hired Chinyoung twice. As the Cowboys’ head coach in 2023, McCarthy brought in Chinyoung as the team’s assistant offensive line coach/quality control. McCarthy lost his job in Dallas after 2024, but Chinyoung stayed on Brian Schottenheimer‘s staff this past season. Chinyoung is set to work with Steelers running back Jaylen Warren in his new gig, while fellow RB Kenneth Gainwell is slated to reach free agency after totaling 1,023 yards (537 rushing, 486 receiving), 73 catches and five touchdowns in 2025.
- Eddie Faulkner, who preceded Chinyoung as Pittsburgh’s running backs coach, is expected to take the same position with the rival Ravens, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. During his seven-year tenure in Pittsburgh, Faulkner oversaw career years from the Warren-Gainwell tandem in 2025 and four straight 1,000-yard seasons from Najee Harris from 2021-24. He’ll now coach the Ravens’ Derrick Henry-led backfield in Baltimore.
- Elsewhere on the Baltimore staff, the Ravens are finalizing a deal with P.J. Volker to work as a defensive assistant, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Volker, coming off a three-year stretch as Navy’s defensive coordinator, is “extremely close” with new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter, Zrebiec notes. The two were teammates at Mount St. Joseph and later coached together at Indiana State and Georgia State.
Ravens To Add Joe Lombardi To Staff
Joe Lombardi was fired one week ago in a move which ended his tenure with the Broncos. That paved the way for in-demand quarterbacks coach Davis Webb to be promoted as Denver’s new offensive coordinator. 
Lombardi has not needed to wait long to line up a new opportunity, however. The Ravens are hiring him as a senior offensive assistant, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports. This will allow for a reunion between Lombardi and new Baltimore OC Declan Doyle.
The pair worked together under Sean Payton in both New Orleans and Denver. In both cases, offensive coordinator gigs elsewhere in the NFL came about based on their work with Payton. Lombardi has been an OC with the Lions and Chargers during his career; both of those jobs were preceded by stints as the Saints’ quarterbacks coach. The 54-year-old reunited with Payton for 2023 and remained Denver’s offensive coordinator for three years.
Doyle’s first OC opportunity came about during last year’s hiring cycle. He was a member of Ben Johnson‘s Bears staff, but that role did not include play-calling responsibilities. The opportunity to call plays for the first time in his career was a key factor in Doyle, 29, deciding to leave Chicago and come to Baltimore. There is of course risk in having an inexperienced offensive coordinator paired with a rookie head coach in the form of Jesse Minter. Having Lombardi in place as a veteran presence on staff could be prove to be beneficial.
The Ravens posted strong offensive numbers during Todd Monken‘s first two years as the team’s offensive coordinator. Baltimore experienced a regression in 2025, a season in which quarterback Lamar Jackson spent much of the time sidelined through injury or playing through a series of nagging ailments. The Ravens will obviously look for better luck on the health front moving forward, but improved efficiency in the passing game in particular would go a long way in allowing for a return to the playoffs in 2026.
For Lombardi, a strong showing during his third stint partnering with Doyle would help his future coordinator stock. Minter, meanwhile, will continue the process of building his initial Baltimore staff with a number of key hires already taken care of.
Ravens To Hire Anthony Weaver As DC
With Jeff Hafley bringing in a new defensive coordinator yesterday, Anthony Weaver found himself in need of a new opportunity. The latter will return to a familiar spot for the 2026 season. 
Weaver is being hired by the Ravens as their new defensive coordinator, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Weaver worked as the Dolphins’ DC for the past two seasons. That spell was preceded by a stint on Baltimore’s coaching staff.
From 2021-23, Weaver served as Baltimore’s defensive line coach. He also held the title of associate head coach during his final two years there, an indication of how well-regarded he is by the organization. The former defensive end also played his first four NFL seasons as a Raven, adding further to his familiarity in this case.
Weaver has previously worked as a D-coordinator with the Texans (2020). The 45-year-old has also drawn head coaching interest on a number of occasions during recent hiring cycles. The Ravens were among the teams to speak with Weaver twice before ultimately hiring Jesse Minter as their new HC. Minter has indicated he will call plays on defense in 2026, but this Weaver agreement marks a notable addition to his coaching staff nevertheless. Minter was previously a Baltimore staffer as well, but he and Weaver have never worked together.
The Dolphins ranked fourth in yards allowed and 10th in scoring defense during Weaver’s first season as defensive coordinator. Miami regressed in a number of areas in 2025, finishing near the bottom of the NFL in several categories. That did little to hurt Weaver’s stock in general or his value to the Ravens in particular, however. It comes as little surprise he has quickly lined up a Baltimore reunion late in the hiring cycle.
On Sunday, Hafley continued the Green Bay-to-Miami theme of the offseason by hiring Sean Duggan as defensive coordinator. That was an expected move given the many occasions on which both staffers have worked together. It confirmed, though, that Weaver would be headed elsewhere. In short order, a Ravens reunion has been arranged. Baltimore has a long track record of tapping familiar candidates for the D-coordinator gig, and this hire is no exception.
Internal promotions are commonplace in the case of the Ravens when it comes to this position. Weaver’s return is of course slightly different, but he fits the bill of a staffer highly familiar with the organization. Zach Orr was promoted in 2024 to serve as Mike Macdonald‘s replacement. His first season leading the team’s defense ended on a high note, but things did not go according to plan in 2025. Before the news of a new coordinator arriving, Orr was already heavily linked to the Cowboys; he is expected to be hired as Dallas’ linebackers coach. Weaver will look to help lead a defensive rebound compared to Orr’s showing from this past season.
Minter recently brought in Declan Doyle as Baltimore’s new offensive coordinator. A number of other staffing changes have taken place, and there is more work to be done on that front. Attention will now turn to the Ravens’ special teams coordinator vacancy.
Declan Doyle Left Bears, Joined Ravens To Call Plays
Declan Doyle was planning to stay in Chicago for at least one more year. The 29-year-old withdrew from the Eagles’ search for a new offensive coordinator, telling them he would remain with the Bears, who were under the same impression.
Then, the Ravens came calling, and their offer – to work with Jesse Minter and call plays for Lamar Jackson – was too good to turn down. Ben Johnson‘s presence in Chicago would keep Doyle from ever becoming the Bears’ play-caller. With many (though not all) teams looking for such experience when hiring new head coaches, Doyle accepted the job in Baltimore.
While Minter and Jackson were major draws, Doyle was already working with one of the league’s most exciting head coach-quarterback duos in Johnson and Caleb Williams. Instead, the opportunity to develop and call his own offense put the appeal of the Ravens’ offensive coordinator gig over the top, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Jackson was named MVP in his first season with his last two offensive coordinators, Greg Roman and Todd Monken. The latter’s success with Jackson is a major reason he was named the Browns’ new head coach last week.
Similar results from Doyle will keep him on the radar for future head coaching gigs. He is already seen as a fast riser in the coaching world with time under Johnson and Sean Payton, two of the most respective offensive minds in the league. He played a key role in revitalizing the Bears in 2025, and success in Baltimore will further boost his resume for future hiring cycles.
AFC North Coaching Updates: Browns, Koetter, Ravens
New Browns head coach Todd Monken continues to build his first NFL staff, and he continues to do so by rounding up his former coworkers. Today, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that UMass offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian would be reuniting with Monken to serve as Cleveland’s new quarterbacks coach.
Bajakian worked with Monken during their tenures with the Buccaneers. Since then, Bajakian has roamed the collegiate coaching circuit working as OC/QB coach at different points with Boston College, Northwestern, Utah (interim), and the Minutemen. That litany of experience working with young, college athletes should prepare him well for the challenge he faces in developing a Browns quarterbacks room that features two rising sophomores (and, potentially, a new rookie this year).
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, former Jets tight ends coach Jeff Blasko is expected to be making his way to Cleveland to accept the same job under Monken. He will be reuniting with both the team and the new head coach after working as the Browns assistant offensive line coach in 2019, when Monken was the team’s offensive coordinator. Additionally, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Monken is bringing over yet another Baltimore migrant, adding former Ravens offensive assistant Ian Kolste to his staff in Cleveland in an as of yet unknown role. Kolste was considered to be a rising, young mind in the Ravens building.
Lastly, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Browns are interviewing former Ravens assistant quarterbacks coach/director of football strategy Daniel Stern for the role of associate head coach. All three hires and Stern fit the criteria of having worked with Monken in the past.
Here are a couple other coaching updates from around the AFC North:
- Pelissero also brought a report out of Cincinnati that Davis Koetter, the son of former Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter, has been hired as the Bengals‘ new assistant wide receivers coach. The younger Koetter was an analyst at South Carolina last year and had worked for two years at Texas before that.
- Finally, in Baltimore, new head coach Jesse Minter is filling out an expected vacancy in his staff. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Ravens expect Stern to be leaving for the job he’s set to interview for in Cleveland, and the team is hiring former Colts game manager Charlie Gelman to fill his place. Gelman is expected to be coming in as Baltimore’s new game management coordinator/defensive assistant.
WR DeAndre Hopkins Open To Re-Signing With Ravens
DeAndre Hopkins joined the Ravens in free agency last offseason by inking a one-year deal. The decorated wideout now faces an uncertain future, although he would welcome a second Baltimore campaign. 
“The reality of it, having a new offensive coordinator, being an older guy, I know football and I know how the business side works,” Hopkins said during an appearance on the Up & Adams show (video link). “I would love to come back, but not every offensive coordinator is wanting a veteran receiver on their team. Some guys have different dynamics of how they go about coaching. It’s nothing personal.”
The Ravens are in the midst of widespread coaching changes. The arrival of Jesse Minter as a first-time head coach, coupled with efforts by John Harbaugh‘s Giants and Todd Monken‘s Browns to recruit Baltimore staffers, has created a number of vacancies. One of those was filled yesterday with the team agreeing to hire Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator. It will be interesting to see if Doyle supports the idea of a new Hopkins deal.
In 2025, Hopkins got off to a strong start with 99 yards and a pair of touchdowns across his first two games. Despite remaining healthy through the remainder of the campaign, however, the five-time Pro Bowler totaled just 330 yards on 22 catches; he did not add any more scores along the way. That production is comfortably the lowest of Hopkins’ 13-year career, and it will no doubt lead to another modest free agent pact. He joined the Ravens on a $5MM deal last spring.
Baltimore’s receiver depth chart is set to be topped once again by Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman in 2026. Flowers is coming off his second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign, and the two-time Pro Bowler is eligible for an extension this spring. Bateman, meanwhile, is on the books through 2029. Retaining Hopkins would once again consign him to a depth role, especially with tight end Mark Andrews still in the fold for next year and beyond.
Hopkins, who will turn 34 in June, noted he would have preferred a larger role in the Ravens’ offense (a unit which dealt with quarterback injuries for much of the year). Nevertheless, he would be amenable to another season working with Lamar Jackson and thus enjoying a degree of stability at the QB spot. Since the end of his Texans tenure, Hopkins has worked with several signal-callers during time with the Cardinals, Titans and Chiefs which preceded his Ravens stint.
Expectations will be tempered in this case given Hopkins’ age and drop-off in production relative to his best seasons. Still, he could offer a veteran presence to any receiving room. As the Ravens sort through their list of pending free agents, a decision will soon need to be made on offering a 2026 deal.
Giants, Browns Picking Apart Old Ravens Staff
For new Giants head coach John Harbaugh, having to completely build a new staff for the first time in 18 years was going swimmingly as he cleared out several incumbent staffers and started to import assistant coaches from his old staff in Baltimore. That strategy hit a snag when the Browns hired Harbaugh’s former offensive coordinator Todd Monken to be their new head coach. 
To start, there had been rumors that Harbaugh had wanted Monken to follow him to New York and coordinate his offense led by Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, and Malik Nabers. Not only does Harbaugh now have to go back to the drawing board on hiring an offensive coordinator, but he now also has to fend off his former coordinator for former Ravens staffers that both men might want in their new cities.
The first instance of this saw Monken win out as offensive line coach George Warhop decided to follow Monken to Cleveland. Warhop had only arrived in Baltimore two years ago to serve as an interim OL coach when longtime Ravens OL coach Joe D’Alessandris was hospitalized over the summer. When D’Alessandris unfortunately passed away eight days later, Warhop stepped into the full-time role. Harbaugh had expressed strong interest in bringing Warhop to New York, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, but ultimately, Monken won the battle for his services.
Shortly after that, Monken named Travis Switzer as his offensive coordinator. Switzer had spent his entire coaching career in Baltimore, joining the team in 2017 as an administrative assistant. He worked his way up the ladder, serving as a performance staff assistant in 2018, then two years as a coaching analyst for the offense, two years as an offensive quality control coach, and three years as run game coordinator. The 33-year-old has now earned his first offensive coordinator opportunity with the Browns.
Monken also worked quickly and is expected to hire former Ravens offensive assistant Danny Breyer, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, elevating him in the process to the title of pass game coordinator. Per Zenitz, Breyer worked closely with the Ravens’ talented tight ends group anchored by Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely during his three years with the team. He now heads to Cleveland where another talented pair of tight ends — veteran David Njoku and rookie sensation Harold Fannin Jr. — just finished the year with a combined 105 receptions for 1,024 yards and 10 touchdowns.
It may not only be coaches the two staffs are fighting for. We’ve already heard rumors that pending free agent center Tyler Linderbaum is a target of Harbaugh’s. With Likely also expected to hit free agency, he may want to keep working with Breyer in Cleveland. Njoku is also set to become a free agent, so Monken and the Browns may work to bring in a younger veteran who is more accustomed to working in a duo to pair with Fannin.
Harbaugh may have realized that the offense staff could be off limits. Today, it was announced that Chad Hall, who served as New York’s assistant quarterbacks coach in 2025, will stick around but with a new title. Hall is expected to be named wide receivers coach for the team in 2026, per Zenitz. Harbaugh hasn’t given up on picking apart the Ravens’ defensive staff, though. According to Zenitz, Baltimore’s former defensive backs coach, Donald D’Alesio, is set to join the coaching staff in New York. A follow-up report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter tells us D’Alesio will join the Giants as defensive pass game coordinator/secondary coach. He joins running backs coach Willie Taggart, defensive line coach Dennis Johnson, special teams coordinator Chris Horton, and assistant linebacker coach Matt Pees in the Ravens’ migration to New York.
As for Baltimore, new head coach Jesse Minter is working to fill out his first coaching staff, but as he does, he doesn’t have to worry about one aspect. Usually, pursuing a defensive coordinator hire requires an evaluation a coach’s play-calling abilities, but according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Minter has declared his plans to call the defense as head coach. Zrebiec also relayed that, much like Harbaugh enjoyed in Baltimore and demanded in New York, Minter will report directly to owner Steve Bisciotti, presumably on equal footing with general manager Eric DeCosta. In fact, DeCosta was the one who reported it to the media.
Following the filling of their offensive coordinator position, the Ravens are also looking at interviewing Bills quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry for the same position, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. While there isn’t expected to be much change in Buffalo’s offensive staff after Joe Brady was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach, Curry actually goes back even further with new Ravens OC Declan Doyle. The two spent four years together in New Orleans on staff with the Saints under Sean Payton.
Curry has interviewed for offensive coordinator openings with the Broncos and Jets and could still win either job, so he’s not necessarily locked in right now with Buffalo. Since the move to Baltimore would be a lateral one, Brady and Co. may opt to block him from interviewing, but if he does miss out on an OC position and get the opportunity to interview with the Ravens, it will be interesting to see if Curry gets his pick at choosing between the two most-recent MVP-winners.
Ravens To Hire Declan Doyle As OC
The Ravens are expected to hire Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle for the same position on Jesse Minter‘s new staff in Baltimore, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Doyle, 29, has just seven years of NFL coaching experience and only one season as a coordinator. He previously served as an offensive assistant with the Saints (2019-2022) and a tight ends coach with the Broncos (2023-2024) before joining Ben Johnson in Chicago. He helped Johnson quickly install his offense and played a crucial role in Caleb Williams‘ second-year breakout, both of which contributed to the Bears winning their first playoff game since 2010.
Doyle’s success in those roles – as well as his time under Johnson and Sean Payton – attracted the attention of the Eagles and the Ravens in recent weeks as they look for new offensive coordinators. Though the Bears could block those interviews, they allowed Doyle to speak with other teams. He withdrew from the Eagles’ search, but traveled to Baltimore on Friday to interview with the Ravens. That meeting clearly went well, as the two sides quickly reached an agreement for Doyle to join Minter’s staff.
In Baltimore, Doyle will get to work rebuilding the Ravens offense around Lamar Jackson after a disappointing 2025 season. The unit regressed significantly from their elite numbers in 2023 and 2024 and finished 11th in points and 16th in yards. A number of injuries to Jackson played a role, though they were also symptomatic of bigger issues. The offensive line could not consistently keep Jackson clean in the pocket or open up holes at the line of scrimmage, and the Ravens went from being one of the league’s best red-zone offenses to one of its worst.
The Bears were confident that Doyle would remain in Chicago after he withdrew his name from the Eagles’ search, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. However, the opportunity to work under Minter and call plays Jackson on a Ravens team that is expected to return to championship contention in 2026 was too much to turn down. Johnson will now have to find a new offensive coordinator heading into his second season as a head coach, and he will not be able to offer play-calling duties to entice candidates with interest from other teams.
The Ravens, meanwhile, will now work with Doyle to build out the rest of his offensive staff. They have already made key hires to coach their offensive line, but former coaches John Harbaugh and Todd Monken have been poaching assistants from their previous staff in Baltimore. With Doyle hired, the Ravens will be able to make decisions on the rest of their incumbent coaches, including important figures like quarterbacks coach Tee Martin.
Here is an overview of Baltimore’s now-completed offensive coordinator search:
- Joe Brady, offensive coordinator (Bills): Mentioned as candidate
- Declan Doyle, offensive coordinator (Bears): Hire expected
- Kliff Kingsbury, former offensive coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed 1/12
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Mentioned as candidate
- Scottie Montgomery, wide receivers coach (Lions): To interview
- Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Interview requested
Browns To Hire Travis Switzer As OC
Newly named Browns head coach Todd Monken is set to hire Ravens run game coordinator Travis Switzer as his offensive coordinator, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports. The hiring will become official once the Browns satisfy the Rooney Rule, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
As the Ravens’ offensive coordinator from 2023-25, Monken spent the past three years working with Switzer, a coach in Baltimore since 2017.
‘Travis was Todd Monken’s right-hand man,” a source told Wilson. “He’s a very, very smart, excellent coach.”
Between his hiring as an administrative assistant-performance and his promotion to run game coordinator in 2024, Switzer held several different positions on ex-Ravens head coach John Harbaugh‘s staff.
The Ravens boasted an elite running game in two seasons under Switzer, who coached an uber-talented attack led by Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. The team led the league in rushing in 2024. Henry was 79 yards short of 2,000, while Jackson fell 85 shy of his third 1,000-plus campaign.
Although Henry wasn’t quite as otherworldly in 2025, he still amassed 1,595 yards on 5.2 per carry. Injuries limited Jackson to 13 games, depriving the Ravens of half of their two-headed monster for a sizable chunk of the year. However, No. 2 running back Keaton Mitchell helped pick up the slack in averaging an excellent 5.8 yards per attempt on 59 tries. With Henry, Jackson and Mitchell all putting up over 5.0 yards a carry, the Ravens finished first in YPC and second in ground yardage.
It’s unknown if Monken or Switzer will call the plays in Cleveland, but turning around its offense will be a tall order. The Browns are coming off a season in which they ranked 30th or worse in total yards, passing and scoring, which undermined a high-end defensive performance during a 5-12 campaign.
Looking ahead to 2026, the Browns don’t have an obvious answer at quarterback among Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson. All three could compete for the job during the summer, though that may depend on whether the Browns make outside additions at the position during the offseason.
Cleveland’s sure to address other offensive issues, including a lack of weapons beyond tight end Harold Fannin, running back Quinshon Judkins and receiver Jerry Jeudy. More importantly, though, the Browns’ line may be in for a major overhaul. Guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller, tackles Cam Robinson and Jack Conklin, and center Ethan Pocic (coming off a late-season Achilles tear) are all slated to reach free agency. As a former offensive lineman at Akron, Switzer may have input in making over the Browns’ front five.
Cowboys Nearing Zach Orr Hire
Zach Orr was not hired as the Cowboys‘ new defensive coordinator. He could nevertheless soon find himself on Dallas’ coaching staff. 
After two years as the defensive coordinator of the Ravens, Orr is a candidate to depart the team. Since head coach John Harbaugh was fired, he has received interest in other DC gigs. Orr interviewed with the Cowboys and Chargers for their respective openings.
Both teams ultimately went in a different direction, but Dallas remains interested. Orr is “in line” to join Brian Schottenheimer‘s staff, Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS reports. An “elevated” linebackers coach role is expected in this case, per Hill. Orr played as a middle linebacker and coached that position for two years in Baltimore prior to being promoted to defensive coordinator.
Orr’s unit did not meet expectations during the 2025 season in particular, but he could add value as a position coach. The 33-year-old worked with Schottenheimer in Jacksonville for one season (2021), and Hill notes he has a relationship with new Cowboys DC Christian Parker as well. A Dallas hire would represent a homecoming for Orr, a native of DeSoto, Texas.
The Cowboys struggled in a number of areas during their one season with Matt Eberflus leading their defense. Dallas ranked 23rd against the run in 2025, and improvements at the linebacker position will no doubt be targeted this offseason. Presuming a hire is worked out, Orr will be tasked with playing a key role in Dallas’ efforts to rebound at the second level. A departure would also confirm Baltimore’s need for a new DC under first-time head coach Jesse Minter.
Meanwhile, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports the Cowboys are expected to hire Ryan Smith. Smith spent the past three years coaching the Cardinals’ cornerbacks. He has previously done so at the collegiate level, so a similar title with Dallas would come as no surprise.